The Thirty Third Sermon, the Thirteenth upon the Fouth Chapter and the First upon the Fifth Chapter

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." Ephesians 4:31 - 5:2

We know that all of God's children should not only be peaceful themselves but also strive for peace to the best of their ability, seeking reconciliation in cases of disagreement and strife. This aligns with the example set by our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, if we are to bring together those who have grievances against each other and promote brotherly reconciliation, or if we aim to calm their anger when they are overcome with frustration and passion, we must first ensure that we ourselves are free from strife and turmoil, refraining from shouting, yelling, and raging. Without doubt, Paul rightly states that all bitterness, resentment, anger, and malicious speech should be put away from the faithful, along with all forms of spitefulness. He identifies spitefulness as the root that produces the fruits he mentioned. By spitefulness, he means a self-centeredness that causes a person to withdraw from others, showing no regard for their feelings. For a person who loves themselves excessively will inevitably despise their neighbors and reject them in a way that precludes any kindness. Thus, if we wish to avoid strife and quarrelling, we must begin by eliminating this spitefulness.

Out of this spitefulness comes bitterness, which manifests when we become peevish and easily provoked. This bitterness is rooted in an inflated sense of self-importance, where we consider ourselves superior to everyone else and hold others in contempt. When we are puffed up with pride to the extent that we think the world revolves around us and we take offence at the slightest inconvenience, we tend to view everything negatively, looking for opportunities to be unkind. Many people fall into this pattern, not only getting upset when wronged but also seeming to be constantly on the lookout for any reason to complain. Even if someone tries their best to please them and meet their preferences, they still find something to be dissatisfied with. When asked why they are constantly dissatisfied, the only answer lies in their own stubbornness and the pride that fuels their disdain for others. In essence, they have developed a bitter disposition and an inflated sense of self-worth, leading them to hold their own desires in high regard while showing contempt for others.

So, as Paul has shown us, the true remedy for maintaining peace and avoiding quarrels is to keep ourselves from becoming bitter and to curb our tendency towards self-importance. In the same way that a physician advises his patient to be cautious of fever or any other ailment, we must also examine ourselves and identify our inclinations, recognizing the things that may lead us astray. We should then take heed, for if we do not, we risk falling into sickness or other troubles. While we may be diligent in following medical advice for the sake of our physical health, we should also be equally diligent in adhering to the guidelines provided for our spiritual well-being.

When it concerns the soul, we tend to be negligent, revealing that we do not value our salvation. This negligence arises from failing to recognize that, on one hand, the devil is constantly trying to deceive us, and on the other hand, we are so weak that we cannot resist evil unless the Lord equips us with His Word. Therefore, it is crucial to observe the guidance provided here: to live in harmony, avoiding contention and strife. First and foremost, we must not be blinded by excessive self-love but instead strive to eliminate pride, allowing us to value our neighbors and live humbly with them. This approach will prevent us from becoming bitter and touchy, taking offense at every little thing. In this context, Paul advises us that once we have rid ourselves of spitefulness and bitterness, we should also refrain from allowing our anger to escalate into resentment and outbursts. He addresses the sudden fits of rage that lead people to act impulsively and later regret their actions. To prevent this, we must cultivate self-control. When we are self-disciplined, we can easily cool down our anger and even extinguish it. However, when we are consumed by wrath, there is no restraint, and our anger knows no bounds. Therefore, the primary lesson here is that God's children should live in peace and harmony. To achieve this, we must strive to control our emotions and understand the consequences of anger and resentment.

It is essential to realise where our irritable moods lead us, which is into the devil's grasp, where we lose control and act without reason. Therefore, we must remain vigilant and not give the devil an opportunity, as previously discussed. While avoiding strife and conflict, we must learn to cleanse our hearts of bitterness and irritability. To do this, we must genuinely appreciate those who are connected to us and to whom we are bound. Ultimately, we should be gentle, kind, and courteous to one another, as this counters the bitterness and spitefulness mentioned earlier. Paul circles back to the foundational principle that, as humans, we are created in God's image. Through belief in the gospel, we are renewed and made anew in His image. This truth should encourage us to display gentleness. We must recognize that we cannot disregard anyone without dishonouring God, for every individual is made in His image. It is intolerable for a mere mortal to elevate themselves so highly as to disregard their Creator. There are no valid excuses for this behaviour. God has honoured humanity by creating them with such an exceptional nature. It is only right that we show reverence and honour to His Majesty and do not trample upon those who represent Him to us.

Once again, if a person examines themselves carefully, they will see their own nature reflected in all their neighbours. Even the most prominent individuals in the world cannot claim to be made of anything different from the rest of Adam's children. Since this is the case, why should we be so proud as to despise those who are akin to us in such a way that the bond cannot be broken? There is yet another, more specific reason in the case of the faithful. God has renewed His image in them, which had been marred by Adam's sin. Therefore, let us learn to be gentle and courteous to one another, and not so unapproachable that no one can approach us, nor so aloof and disdainful that we separate ourselves from the common assembly and company of other people. This is what Paul meant by the gentleness or courtesy he mentioned. He goes on to add "mercy." If we have compassion for one another, this compassion extends far and can be seen as the source that moves us towards gentleness. A mild spirit is undoubtedly a remarkable virtue, one without which we cannot exist in the world. How can we maintain it among us? The sole means is this compassion, a disposition of mind that causes us to think that when we see a despised individual, they are still our neighbour, our own flesh and blood. Though they may be despised and have nothing to be esteemed for, we should consider that the miseries in them could also befall us. With this consideration, our hearts will be moved to sympathise with someone who has been dealt such a great injustice compared to others, be it due to physical weakness or a mental infirmity. It will grieve us and stir us with pity for their situation, which is the essence of gentleness within us, fostered by compassion. If we encounter a poor person who is afflicted or moves slowly due to a physical ailment, should we scorn them? No, quite the opposite. If we were not utterly heartless, like wild beasts, we should be moved to pity their condition, at the very least, if we were fulfilling our duty. Similarly, if someone lacks wit or understanding, perhaps struggling to comprehend one thing out of a hundred, unable to distinguish white from black, having no compassion for them can only be attributed to one's own cruelty, which causes them to forget common kindness that binds us all together. Thus, even a small drop of compassion will prevent us from rejecting those related to us and from despising those who merit compassion and mercy. In all cases and at all times, we will naturally be gentle and courteous towards our neighbours. In short, just as the miseries that God knows exist within us move Him to show us mercy, the miseries of our neighbours should serve as spurs to motivate us to be compassionate towards them. Moreover, even their vices should not kindle anger and indignation within us but rather provide an occasion for us to pity our neighbours. For instance, if someone wrongs me, it is often the devil that drives them to do so, and the wretched individual only harms themselves by provoking God's anger against them.

Now, if there was nothing more in me than the common nature to which God has bound us all, I should not be heartbroken when I see a soul deceived by Satan's cunning heading towards destruction. Indeed, we should not allow the wrongs done to us to carry us away, nor should we be so provoked as to lack pity for those who err. This is because they are blinded by Satan, provoking God's wrath and working against their own salvation. Consider this: the very remedy that enables us to be gentle is to be compassionate and to have pity, as mentioned in the previous passages. There is not one of us who would not wish to be treated with forbearance, without which we would struggle to survive a single day in this world. Even the most perfect individuals among us have some weaknesses, to the extent that if everyone were to deal with them harshly, they would be scorned and disgraced. Furthermore, where can we find a person who does not have many imperfections in them, which require others to be patient, rather than to reject them due to some vices that may warrant withdrawal? If we expect others to be patient with us, shouldn't we also show compassion to others? When we see someone with a flaw or fault, shouldn't we think that we too are prone to the same? After thorough examination, we may discover more in ourselves that deserves condemnation. Nevertheless, we would hope to be treated with forbearance, even if we were convicted to a great extent. Therefore, just as we desire others to forgive us, we should learn to have compassion on them, for they are no more angels than we are. This is what St. Paul meant to convey. He concluded that we should forgive one another because if compassion is not present, we tend to scrutinise every minor issue excessively, becoming greatly displeased, as experience has shown far too often. Thus, even the slightest provocation can upset us, as there is no pity in our hearts. But if we are touched by mercy, we will readily forgive and let many things pass unnoticed. Furthermore, we will not be easily provoked but will have a restraint to hold us back, and we will not hesitate to admit back into friendship those who have offended us greatly. Therefore, this is the order St. Paul encourages us to follow to lead us to charity and to maintain it. The entire lesson revolves around being God's children, meaning we must love one another and be united in good harmony to maintain peace among us. However, this can be challenging because every person tends to measure themselves too highly.

Again, their minds differ as much as their manners and conditions differ as well. In short, we have countless reasons to distance ourselves and isolate from all company. If every person gives in to selfishness, charity will never find a place among us and will be banished far from us. So, what should we do? First, we must rid ourselves of all scornfulness and pride, as I mentioned earlier. Afterward, we should cleanse ourselves from bitterness and irritability. We should strive not to be easily angered or touchy but instead learn to control ourselves and subdue our own emotions. However, this can only be achieved if we are gentle and kind-hearted. We are creatures fashioned in the image of God and bound together by an inseparable bond. Yet, even this is not enough unless we learn to recognise our own weaknesses and faults. Each of us should be critical of ourselves because we see the need for improvement and the presence of many vices within us that are similar to those in our neighbours. Therefore, we need this bond to hold us together, and this can be achieved when we are merciful and compassionate.

If common courtesy should compel us to help those in need, it should also drive us to reconciliation. When our Lord Jesus exhorted us to be merciful, it wasn't solely for the purpose of providing food and drink to the hungry and thirsty or helping those who have fallen into decay. While all these actions are encompassed within it, He primarily intended to demonstrate mercy in forgiving the mistakes committed. We should not be so severe as to completely reject those who are not entirely commendable or in whom we discern many vices. We should not indulge in flattery, for true friendship does not tolerate that, as it would be harmful to us in the end. If one person is a friend to another and allows them to indulge excessively in food and drink, leading to their own destruction, can we truly say that their flattery and enabling of foolish desires is an act of friendship? No.

So then, if we see a poor man on the verge of throwing himself headlong into destruction, we betray our friendship rather than show it by not attempting to pull him back. The compassion which our Lord Jesus has elevated us to is not to lull us into inaction in our weaknesses through flattery. Instead, it is to keep us in check, tempering our harshness so that oil may always be mixed with our vinegar, as the saying goes. That is, in essence, what the Apostle Paul intended for us to understand. Even though each person may strive to be compassionate, avoiding any excessive severity towards their neighbour, it goes against our nature. As I mentioned earlier, our self-love blinds us to such an extent that we perceive the slightest transgressions as unpardonable sins and offences. Consequently, if anyone angers us, we deem their fault to be beyond forgiveness. Thus, true meekness is rarely found in individuals unless they struggle against their own inclinations with all their might. Mere teaching will not suffice in this regard. Our churlishness is deeply ingrained in our hearts. Even if our duty is clearly explained to us, it can only mildly influence us. Paul used God's example to illustrate this, showing that God forgave us through His only Son. He immediately added that our Lord Jesus Christ, who did not spare himself for our redemption and salvation, is the key to breaking down our hardness, moderating our excessive passions, reforming our cruelty, humbling our pride and haughtiness, and sweetening our bitterness. To accomplish all this, we must look to God's behaviour towards us. He loved the world so much that He sacrificed His only Son for our sake. When we compare ourselves to God, the gap between us is immense. Therefore, the greatest wrongs that could be inflicted upon us are insignificant compared to the smallest transgression against God. Breaking even the slightest aspect of God's will constitutes a challenge to His sovereign dominion, a violation of His majesty, and an affront to His righteousness, which I believe is too precious to be abused. What human being or thing can be said to be so sacred that if it is mistreated, it should be considered an infringement of God's righteousness? Now, we have ample reason to condemn ourselves for not serving God as we should. We were His enemies from the beginning, even from our mother's womb. As we age, we continuously grow in wickedness, sinfulness, and unrighteousness. Yet, despite all this, God did not withhold His infinite mercy in sending us His only Son. When we consider this, all pride should be set aside, bitterness should be assuaged, rebelliousness should be tamed, and spitefulness should be eradicated from our hearts. All falsehood should be cast away. Indeed, what is the reason for our waywardness? Why do we, once set on a course, not cease to spur ourselves forward so easily into contention and strife, to the point where the entire household rings with our quarrels? The root of the problem is our ingratitude, for we fail to contemplate God's incomparable goodness towards us. He did not spare His only Son, even though we were His deadly enemies, engaged in warfare against Him, and cursed by nature due to the corruption within us. Despite all this, as I mentioned earlier, we cannot truly experience God's mercy unless we are moved by compassion and cleanse our hearts of the cursed desire for revenge. It is these very factors that make St. Paul's demands so difficult, even entirely contradictory to our nature, and impossible to achieve without God's intervention.

Yet, notwithstanding the declaration that has been shown to us here, it should prevail with us to make us forget all wrongs. For, admit that another man has offended me. What then? Can I proclaim my righteousness and guiltlessness when I shall come before God? Alas, there are so many iniquities and transgressions in me that I should be confounded. If one fault committed against me is unpardonable, shall a million, yes, a whole million that I have committed against God, be nothing? What am I in comparison to the sovereign majesty? So then, following this warning of St. Paul's, whenever we are moved to impatience due to any displeasure or wrong, such that we desire revenge, let us learn to gather our wits about us and consider who we are.

First of all, if a man has committed any fault against us, we ourselves have done the same or far worse. On the other side, let us consider how God has redeemed us, especially through that most precious pledge of the blood shed by His only Son. Have we deserved that? Again, what moved God to be so merciful towards us? Nothing else but our wretchedness. Now, since He, who is so good and not of our nature, has had compassion on our wretchedness, what shall we do? Should we not have much more compassion for one another, because we find in ourselves the very things we pardon in our neighbors? God can find no infirmities in Himself, and how then shall He be moved to forgive us? Truly, it is because He is the wellspring of all goodness and mercy.

But when I see the same faults in me and my neighbor, if I examine myself closely, I shall find the same or even more. Should not all these things persuade me to show some compassion, if I do not forget myself too much? The way to easily forgive many faults and bear with many vices that may displease us in our neighbors is to cast our eyes upon the inestimable love that God has shown us through His Son.

As I mentioned before, if we were not so ungrateful, there would be a different kind of gentleness among us, and we would not so quickly quarrel over every wrong done to us. For, not to think early and late, day and night, about the grace granted us in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Day-Sun to enlighten us, would be brutish. Should we not consider that He makes His spiritual light shine upon us to guide us to salvation? And how is that done but through God's mercy?

Again, when we behold the favour that God shows us in maintaining us in this present life, are we worthy to receive it at His expense? No, it all comes to us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, it should become us, in our rest and in our labour, when we eat and when we drink, both while sleeping and waking, to always consider the mercy God shows towards us and keep it in mind as our continual exercise.

This grace should especially come before our eyes when we pray to God. For how can we approach Him familiarly, discharge all our cares and griefs into His lap, and call Him our Father if we are not drawn to Him through His freely bestowed goodness in our Lord Jesus Christ? He forgives us our transgressions.

If we fail to consider all these things, we would be too dull-headed and brutish. It becomes clear from this that we shall always be mistaken if we boast of being God's children, His household, and faithful children.

If we are not willing and glad to forgive, we may indeed boast of our formality and be esteemed by others, but we will still disgrace ourselves. So, if we are reluctant to forgive, it is because we do not consider the infinite goodness of our God, as He shows it in our Lord Jesus Christ. That is the intended effect St. Paul wanted to bring about. He added that we must be followers of God as beloved children.

One might reply, "It is true that God's mercy should astonish us and amaze us, for it is a wonderful thing, and all our affections should be fixed upon it. But can we be like God?" No, for He is the source of all goodness, and we are flawed and untamed. God possesses the fullness of all goodness, while there is not even a drop of it in our nature. Yet, despite all this, St. Paul adds the phrase, "be followers of God." In other words, follow Him, make Him your example or pattern.

Although God is the very essence of goodness and we possess nothing but evil inclinations, such as malice, spitefulness, pride, and excessive passions, we should not consider ourselves utterly against Him. Even though Adam's sin separated us from God, we must not think that our nature cannot change when God reaches out His hand to gather us to Him and reunite the things that were scattered. Thus, St. Paul says, "as God's dear beloved children," to show that our mouths will be shut unless we respond to God in goodness by bearing with one another, just as our Lord Jesus Christ taught us. Follow your heavenly Father, who causes His sun to shine on both the good and the bad.

To claim that we are God's children, to call upon Him, to identify as Christians, and yet be despised by God while showing that we draw no qualities from Him is against our nature. We should not deceive ourselves. We must recognize that we are not only full of hypocrisy but also shameless when we do not resemble God and still want to be considered His children.

While it is impossible to fully resemble God in every way, we should not lose heart. We must remember that the Scriptures say that if we strive according to God's Word, even if we fall short of our goal, God accepts our willingness and effort when we continually strive to move forward, even if we are slow, weak, and stumble. God does not hold our faults against us when we desire to resemble Him, when we aim at that goal, even if we fall short. This should give us courage.

If we were required to resemble God point by point in all respects, it would be impossible. Even the angels, who are entirely holy and shine with God's glory, fall far short of God's perfection. What then of us, who are so corrupted and flawed, filled with wickedness, and hindered by countless vices and temptations that Satan places in our path? Yet, we have reason to rejoice because the Lord bears with us and accepts all our actions in good faith as long as we continue to strive towards Him. This is the way to follow Him, as He has commanded. We must not fall asleep, as many do, saying, "I would like to be like God," and then merely wish for it. Instead, we must consider every day and every hour how little we have profited in truly resembling God. We must condemn ourselves for it and acknowledge that even though we had some goodwill yesterday, it has not increased, but rather seems to have grown colder. In this manner, we must continue our journey towards God.

We must stir ourselves and combat the obstacles that hinder us, so that we may strive to move closer to our goal, even though we are still far from it. Our Lord will not fail to consider us always as resembling Him and as true followers of Him if we willingly and without hypocrisy forgive those who have offended us, at least following His example. He has given us a pardon that surpasses all patterns that we can find among us. We should bear with the vices and weaknesses of our neighbors as He has borne with us. He could justly have cast us down to the depths, yet He did not hesitate to adopt us as His children. Therefore, since He loved us in such a manner, despite our unworthiness, it is only fitting that we should imitate Him in this regard.

Even if we had no better privilege than our natural birth, we should recognize that God has not separated us from one another. Even the pagans understood this concept, for they believed that a person's life should be devoted to God and shaped in His image. They believed that this was the ultimate form of happiness. Furthermore, they added that we cannot resemble God better in anything than in showing kindness to one another, doing good, and being compassionate.

Therefore, let us consider that God has made us His beloved children, even though we were once His enemies, filled with filthiness and burdened by numerous vices. Yet, He did not hesitate to love us. It is only reasonable that we should overlook many things that might offend us and hinder our love and unity with our neighbors.

St. Paul, after speaking of God's love, also provides the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Heavenly Father loved the world so much that He did not spare His only Son but delivered Him to death for our sake. What did Jesus Christ do? He forgot Himself and did not consider His own wellbeing. The Lord of all glory humbled Himself to endure all reproach. The eternal life made Himself mortal. The omnipotent power of God made Himself weak for our sake. He who held all things in His hand became poor to enrich us. The one through whom all things are blessed subjected Himself to cursing.

Seeing, then, that our Lord Jesus Christ humbled himself in such a manner, St. Paul also set forth as an example for us. He took on shame instead of His glory and became sin in place of His righteousness. Not that He sinned or had any blemish, but He bore the punishment for our sins, which is why the Scripture refers to Him as sin. He exchanged life for death and willingly accepted God's curse in this world so that we might have blessedness through Him.

To rid ourselves of pride, presumption, fierceness, scornfulness, and bitterness, we should consider how our Lord Jesus Christ reconciled us to God His Father. Reflecting on all these things should lead us to put away these wicked affections and strive against them until we overcome them. Therefore, let us be kind-hearted and patient with one another. Since God has gathered us into one flock and our Lord Jesus Christ serves as our shepherd, we should act like a flock of sheep, not like ravenous wolves.

Since our Lord Jesus Christ did not withhold anything, even offering Himself as a sacrifice to God His Father to atone for our sins, we should be moved to glorify God and give homage to our Lord Jesus Christ whenever we think about it. When it is said that the sacrifice offered by Jesus Christ was of sweet scent or savor before God, it emphasizes that there is nothing but stench in us. This is meant to encourage us to rid ourselves of our filthiness and infections that make us repugnant before God.

When we appear before the face of God in our prayers and supplications, our sins should not be counted against us. Despite our wretchedness and sinfulness, we can approach God with confidence, knowing that He will embrace us as righteous and innocent, and transform us into His image. This is possible because our Lord Jesus Christ will cleanse us of all our blemishes, allowing us to stand before Him with heads held high and experience the fullness of His mercy.

Now, let us kneel before the majesty of our good God, acknowledging our faults and praying for a deep sense of repentance. However, let us also have no doubt that He will always bear with us, granting us mercy and forgiveness as long as we seek it sincerely and follow His Word to reform ourselves according to His image. This way, we can truly call Him our Father and become His true children. And so, we say, "Almighty God, Heavenly Father, etc."